Portable in-line hydraulic tool

ABSTRACT

A portable, hand held hydraulic cutting tool having an in-line handle assembly and a working head assembly. The handle assembly has a tool frame portion and a neck portion. The working head assembly has a pair of jaw members joined so that they are movable relative to each other and held in place by a locking pin. Each jaw member has a cutting blade attached thereto. Each jaw member can be tapered and can include weight reducing pockets defined in respective sidewalls. Each jaw member includes a raised tab on an outside edge that mates with a respective tab notch in a yoke of the neck portion of the handle assembly. When the locking pin is in an extended position, the jaw members of the tool can separate and rotate away from one another until their respective locking tabs engage their respective locking tab opening, connecting the jaw members to the yoke of the neck portion of the handle assembly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No.15/979,709, filed May 15, 2018, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/506,441 filed May 15, 2017 both ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure relates to cooperating jaws and hydraulic toolshaving cooperating jaws. More particularly, the present disclosurerelates to hydraulic, hand-held cutting tools and jaw heads for suchcutting tools.

Description of the Related Art

Hand-held hydraulic tools are well known in the art. These tools usecooperating jaws that are hydraulically pressed together with greatforce to cut materials such as electrical conductors. These tools may bebattery-powered to allow mobility and portability for the user. Thesetools typically employ a locking pin that holds the jaws together forthe cutting operation. The locking pin is removed to release the jaws.

SUMMARY

The various advantages aspects and features of the various embodimentsof the present disclosure and claimed herein should become evident to aperson of ordinary skill in the art given the following enablingdescription and drawings. The aspects and features disclosed herein arebelieved to be novel and other elements characteristic of the variousembodiments of the present disclosure are set forth with particularityin the appended claims.

In one exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure includes a jawassembly for an in-line hydraulic cutting tool. The jaw assemblyincludes a first jaw member, a second jaw member, an interlockingmechanism, a locking pin and a spring member. The first jaw memberincludes a distal end portion and a proximal end portion. The distal endportion of the first jaw member defines a first portion of a workingarea of the in-line hydraulic cutting tool and includes a first cuttingblade releasably attached thereto. The proximal end portion of the firstjaw member includes at least one raised tab used to facilitateconnecting the first jaw member to a yoke of the in-line hydrauliccutting tool. The second jaw member includes a distal end portion and aproximal end portion. The distal end portion of the second jaw memberdefines a second portion of the working area of the in-line hydrauliccutting tool and includes a second cutting blade releasably attachedthereto. The proximal end portion of the second jaw member includes atleast one raised tab used to facilitate connecting the second jaw memberto the yoke of the in-line hydraulic cutting tool. The interlockingmechanism is associated with the first and second jaw members such thatthe first jaw member and the second jaw member can pivot relative toeach other. The locking pin extends through the interlocking mechanismto facilitate releasably attaching the first jaw member and the secondjaw member to the yoke of the in-line hydraulic cutting tool wheninstalled. The spring member includes a first end attached to theproximal end portion of the first jaw member and a second end attachedto the proximal end portion of the second jaw member. The spring membernormally biasing the proximal end portion of the first jaw member andthe proximal end portion of the second jaw member toward each other suchthat the first and second cutting blades are in an open position.

In another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure includes a jawassembly for an in-line hydraulic tool. In this exemplary embodiment,the jaw assembly includes a first jaw member, a second jaw member, asleeve, a locking pin and a spring member. The first jaw member includesa distal end portion, a proximal end portion and a tang positionedbetween the distal end portion and the proximal end portion. The distalend portion of the first jaw member defines a portion of a working areaof the tool and includes a first cutting blade releasably attachedthereto. The tang includes a bore therethrough. The second jaw memberincludes a distal end portion, a proximal end portion and a clevispositioned between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion.The distal end portion of the second jaw member defines another portionof the working area of the tool and includes a second cutting bladereleasably attached thereto. The clevis includes a bore therethrough andis capable of receiving the tang of the first jaw member such that thebore through the clevis can align with the bore in the tang. The sleeveis inserted through the tang and clevis bores such that the first jawmember and second jaw member can pivot relative to each other. Thelocking pin extends through the sleeve to facilitate releasablyattaching the first jaw member and the second jaw member to a yoke ofthe in-line hydraulic cutting tool when installed. The spring memberincludes a first end attached to the proximal end portion of the firstjaw member and a second end attached to the proximal end portion of thesecond jaw member, the spring member normally biasing the proximal endportion of the first jaw member and the proximal end portion of thesecond jaw member toward each other such that the first and secondcutting blades are in an open position.

The present disclosure also includes exemplary embodiments of in-linehydraulic cutting tools. In one exemplary embodiment, the in-linebattery-powered hydraulic cutting tool includes a handle assembly and aworking head assembly. The handle assembly has an in-line type shapewith a hand grip portion and a neck portion that includes a yoke. Theworking head assembly is operatively coupled to the yoke and includesfor example, the jaw assemblies described herein.

In another exemplary embodiment, the in-line battery-powered hydrauliccutting tool includes a handle assembly and a working head assembly. Thehandle assembly has an in-line type shape having a hand grip portion anda neck portion that includes a yoke. The hand grip portion also includesat least one hydraulic pump used to move first and second jaw members inthe working head assembly from the open position to a closed position, awobble plate and at least one ball bearing positioned between the wobbleplate and the at least one hydraulic pump. The working head assembly isoperatively coupled to the yoke and includes for example, the jawassemblies described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures depict embodiments for purposes of illustration only. Oneskilled in the art will readily recognize from the following descriptionthat alternative embodiments of the structures illustrated herein may beemployed without departing from the principles described herein,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a first side of an exemplaryembodiment of a battery-powered tool according to the presentdisclosure, illustrating a working head assembly having cutting jaws andan in-line type handle assembly;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary block diagram for describing various parts of thetool shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is side elevation view of a first side of the working headassembly of FIG. 1 in an open position and secured to a yoke of thehandle assembly;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of a second side of the working headassembly of FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the working head assembly of FIG. 3taken along line 5-5;

FIG. 6 is a bottom side perspective view of the second side of theworking head assembly of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 7 is a bottom side perspective view of the second side of theworking head assembly of FIG. 6 with the jaw members separated;

FIG. 8 is a bottom side perspective view of the first side of theworking head assembly of FIG. 3 releasably secured to a yoke of thehandle assembly;

FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the first side of the working headassembly and yoke of the handle assembly of FIG. 8 ;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the working headassembly of FIG. 4 taken from line 10-10;

FIG. 11 is side elevation view in partial cut-away of the first side ofthe working head assembly of the tool of FIG. 1 in an open position andreleasably secured to a yoke of the handle assembly;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a portion of the working head assemblyand yoke of the handle assembly of FIG. 11 taken from detail 12.

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the working head assembly and yoke of FIG.11 , illustrating a cross-section of a locking pin used to releasablysecure jaws of the working head assembly together and to the yoke of thehandle assembly;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation view with a cut-away portion of the secondside of the working head assembly and yoke of the handle assembly ofFIG. 11 ;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the working head assembly and yokeof the handle assembly of FIG. 13 taken along line 15-15;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged view in partial cross-section of the working headassembly and yoke of the handle assembly of FIG. 13 taken from detail16;

FIG. 17 is an enlarge side elevation view of a portion of the workinghead assembly and yoke of the handle assembly of FIG. 14 taken fromdetail 17;

FIG. 18 is a side elevation view of the first side of the working headassembly separated from the yoke of the handle assembly of the tool ofFIG. 1 ;

FIG. 19 is a side elevation view of the first side of the working headassembly moving toward and engaging the yoke of the handle assembly ofthe tool of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 20 is a side elevation view of the first side of the working headassembly engaging the yoke of the handle assembly of the tool of FIG. 1, illustrating a distal end of jaws of the working head assembly beingmoved toward each other;

FIG. 21 is a side elevation view of the first side of the working headassembly releasably and fully engaged with the yoke of the handleassembly of the tool of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 22 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a wobble plateassembly in a first position and used in the tool of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 22A is a cross-sectional view of the wobble plate assembly of FIG.22 taken along line 22A-22A;

FIG. 22B is an enlarged view of a portion of the wobble plate assemblyof FIG. 22A taken from detail 22B;

FIG. 23 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a wobble plateassembly in a second position and used in the tool of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 23A is a cross-sectional view of the wobble plate assembly of FIG.23 taken along line 23A-23A;

FIG. 23B is an enlarged view of a portion of the wobble plate assemblyof FIG. 23A taken from detail 23B;

FIG. 24 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a wobble plateassembly in a third position and used in the tool of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 24A is a cross-sectional view of the wobble plate assembly of FIG.24 taken along line 24A-24A;

FIG. 24B is an enlarged view of a portion of the wobble plate assemblyof FIG. 24A taken from detail 24B;

FIG. 25 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a wobble plateassembly in a fourth position and used in the tool of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 25A is a cross-sectional view of the wobble plate assembly of FIG.25 taken along line 25A-25A;

FIG. 25B is an enlarged view of a portion of the wobble plate assemblyof FIG. 25A taken from detail 25B;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the wobbleplate assembly according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 27 is a bottom plan view of the tool of FIG. 1 ; and

FIG. 28 is an enlarged view of a portion of the tool of FIG. 27 takenfrom detail 28, illustrating the wobble plate within the handle assemblyof the tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure will be shown and described in connection with aportable, battery-powered, hand-held hydraulic tools. The descriptiondescribed herein will be in relation to a portable, battery-powered,hand-held hydraulic cutting tool. However, one of ordinary skill in theart will readily appreciate that the inventive concepts and aspects ofthe tool may be implemented in a wide variety of tools, fields and uses.For example, the tool may be a hydraulic crimping tool. Therefore, thepresent disclosure should not be deemed to be limited to the embodimentsto the cutting tools shown in the drawings and described herein.

For ease of description, the portable, battery-powered, hydraulic toolsaccording to the present disclosure may also be referred to as the“tools” in the plural and the “tool” in the singular. In addition, asused in the present disclosure, the terms “front,” “rear,” “upper,”“lower,” “upwardly,” “downwardly,” and other orientation descriptors areintended to facilitate the description of the exemplary embodimentsdisclosed herein and are not intended to limit the structure of theexemplary embodiments or limit the claims to any particular position ororientation.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a battery-powered, hand held hydraulic tool10 includes a handle assembly 20 that houses the hydraulic andelectrical controls for the tool, seen in FIG. 2 , and a working headassembly 60 that is operatively connected to the handle assembly 20. Thehandle assembly 20 includes a tool frame 22, a pump 28, a motor 30, afluid reservoir 32, a controller 34, a hydraulic drive conduit system 36and a battery 40. The tool frame 22 includes a hand grip portion 24 anda neck portion 26 in an in-line type shape. However, the tool frame 22could be in any suitable type of shape, such as, for example, a pistollike shape or a suitcase type shape.

The pump 28, motor 30, fluid reservoir 32, controller 34 and hydraulicdrive conduit system 36 are located within the grip portion 24 of thetool frame 22. The tool 10 may also include a camera 42, seen in blockform in FIG. 2 , mounted to the tool frame 22 and oriented to provide avideo of a working area of the working head assembly 60. The tool 10 mayalso include a tool tracking system 44, seen in block form in FIG. 2 ,for tracking the location of the tool. In an exemplary embodiment, thetool tracking system 44 may include known GPS tracking components thatreceive GPS satellite signals and transmits the location of the tool toa remote station allowing a user to track the location of the tool. Suchtransmissions to remote stations may be achieved using knowncommunication systems, such as for example, cellphone networks. The tool10 may also include a planetary gear box 46, seen in FIG. 2 , that wouldprovide lower ratio/less torque and tangential forces which results inthe need for fewer bearings.

The battery 30 is removably connected to one end of the grip portion 24of the tool frame 22. In another embodiment, the battery 30 could beremovably mounted or connected to any suitable position on the toolframe 22. In another embodiment, the battery 40 may be affixed to thetool 10 so that it is not removable. The battery 40 is preferably arechargeable battery, such as a lithium ion battery, that can output avoltage of at least 16 VDC, and preferably in the range of between about16 VDC and about 24 VDC. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 ,the battery 40 can output a voltage of about 18 VDC.

Continuing to refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the motor 30 is coupled to thebattery 40 and the controller 34, and its operation is controlled by thecontroller 34. Generally, the motor 30 is adapted to operate at anominal voltage corresponding to the voltage of the battery 40, e.g.,between about 16 VDC and about 24 VDC. For example, if the battery 40 isadapted to output a voltage of about 18 VDC, then the motor 30 would beadapted to operate at a voltage of about 18 VDC. Under a no-loadcondition, such a motor 30 can operate at about 21,000 rpm with acurrent of about 2.7 amps. At maximum efficiency, the motor 30 canoperate at about 15,000 rpm with a current of about 12 amps, a torque ofabout 75 mN−m, and an output of about 165 W. An example of such an 18VDC motor 30 is the RS-550VC-7030 motor, manufactured by Mabuchi MotorCo., Ltd. of Chiba-ken, Japan. However, as noted above, any suitabletype of motor adapted to operate at or above a 16 VDC nominal voltagecould be used. As another example, the motor may be a motor adapted tooperate at a 24 VDC nominal voltage. The output shaft of the motor 30 isconnected to the pump 28 by a gear reduction assembly or gearbox 46,shown in block form in FIG. 2 . Any suitable type of gear reductionassembly 46 could be used.

The grip portion 24 of the tool frame 22 includes one or more operatorcontrols, such as switches 48 and 50, which can be manually activated byan operator. The grip portion 24 of the tool frame 22 may include a handguard or hilt 52 that can protect an operators hand while operating thetool 10. The hilt 52 may include an indicator 54, e.g., a light such asan LED, that is operatively connected to the controller 34 such thatwhen a switch 48 or 50 is actuated the light activates to illuminate theworking area of the working head assembly 60. According to an embodimentof the present disclosure, one of the switches (e.g., switch 48) may beused to activate a piston (not shown) associated with the hydraulicdrive conduit system 36 system to activate the working head assembly 60such that the work head assembly moves toward a closed position. Theother switch (e.g., switch 50) may be used to retract the piston so thatthe working head assembly 60 moves to a home (or open) position, shownin FIG. 1 . The operator controls, e.g., switches 48 and 50, areoperably coupled to the controller 34.

The tool 10 may include a pressure relief valve 56, e.g., a poppet valveseen in block form in FIG. 2 , connected to the hydraulic drive conduitsystem 36. The pressure relief valve 56 is adapted to open when theconduit system 36 reaches a predetermined minimum hydraulic pressurethreshold, such as about 6,500 psi. When the pressure relief valveopens, hydraulic fluid being pumped by the pump 28 can exit the conduitsystem 36 and return to the fluid reservoir 32. The poppet valve 56 canbe adapted to generate an audible sound when it opens. This audiblesound can signal to the operator that the tool 10 has reached itsmaximum predetermined hydraulic pressure and, thus, the action of theworking head assembly 60, e.g., a cutting action or a crimping action,is completed.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the controller 36 isadapted to sense a current drop of electricity to the motor 30. When thepressure relief valve 56 opens, resistance to rotation of the motor 30is reduced such that the motor draws less current. The controller 36senses this current drop via a current sensor (not shown), andautomatically deactivates the motor 30 for a predetermined period oftime. In one embodiment, the predetermined period of time is betweenabout 2 seconds and about 3 seconds. However, any suitable predeterminedperiod of time could be set. In another embodiment, the controller 34could be adapted to deactivate the motor 30 until a reset button orreset like procedure is performed by the operator. With this type ofsystem, an operator can sense via tactile feedback that the motor 30 andpump 28 have stopped and would not need to rely on an audible signalbeing heard or a visual signal from the indicator 54 positioned on thetool 10.

The working head assembly 60 includes a pair of cooperating jawmembers—a first jaw member 70 and second jaw member 100. As shown onFIGS. 3 and 4 , the first jaw member 70 includes a curved pressing lever72 having a distal end portion 74 and a proximal end portion 76. Aninterior portion of the pressing lever 72 defines one or more workingsurfaces 78, e.g. a cutting surface (or blade) or a crimping surface (orcrimping die). As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, if theworking surface is a cutting surface, the cutting surface may be areplaceable cutting blade attached to the jaw member 70 with, forexample, mechanical fasteners or spring locking fasteners, or thecutting surface can be a permanent cutting blade. Similarly, the secondjaw member 100 includes a curved pressing lever 102 having a distal endportion 104 and a proximal end portion 106. An interior portion of thepressing lever 102 defines one or more working surfaces 108, e.g. acutting surface (or blade) or a crimping surface (or crimping die). Aswill be appreciated by one skilled in the art, if the working surface isa cutting surface, the cutting surface may be a replaceable cuttingblade attached to the jaw member 100 with, for example, mechanicalfasteners or spring locking fasteners, or the cutting surface can be apermanent cutting blade. The second jaw member 100 may also include anoptional guide member 110 attached to the working surface 108 or thedistal end portion 104 of the jaw member 100. The guide member 110 isprovided to guide the working surfaces 78 and 108 of the working headassembly 60 and to limit the working surfaces 78 and 108 of the jawmembers 70 and 100, respectively, from separating or spreading apartwhen in the working head assembly is activated. For example, if theworking surfaces 78 and 108 are cutting blades, the guide member 110limits the cutting blades from separating or rotating when performing acutting operation.

Referring to FIGS. 4-7 , the jaw members 70 and 100 are connected to oneanother using an interlocking mechanism on one or both of the jawmembers. For example, the interlocking mechanism may be a tongue ingroove type configuration or a clevis, tang and pin type configuration.More specifically, in the embodiment shown the first jaw member 70includes a tang 80, seen in FIG. 7 , having a bore 82, and the secondjaw member 100 includes a clevis 112, seen in FIG. 7 , having bores 114and 116 through the sides of the clevis, as shown. In thisconfiguration, to connect the jaw members together the tang 80 ispositioned within the clevis 112. A sleeve or bushing 150 having acentral opening 152 is disposed within the bores 82, 114 and 116, seenin FIGS. 5 and 7 . The sleeve 150 holds the two jaw members 70 and 100together until a locking pin 160 connects the jaw members to the neckportion 26 of the handle assembly 20 of the tool 10. More specifically,the sleeve 150 allows the locking pin 160 to slide in one continuoussurface when connecting the jaw members to the neck portion whichpermits easier installation of the jaw members 70 and 100 to the handleassembly 20. In other words, the sleeve 150 allows the locking pin 160to glide through areas or seems where the jaw members 70 and 100 meetwithout catching on a jaw member in the event the jaw members areslightly offset or have gaps. Additionally, the sleeve 150 keeps the jawmembers 70 and 100 of the working head assembly 60 together for easierhandling when the locking pin 160 is removed from the tool 10, asdiscussed below.

As shown in FIGS. 6-9 , the jaw members 70 and 100 are configured toopen and close relative to one another using the clevis, tang andlocking pin arrangement noted above or a tongue-and-groove arrangement.The clevis and tang arrangement allows the jaw members 70 and 100 topivot around sleeve 150 and thus the locking pin 160 such that the jawmembers can move between open and closed positions. When moving the jawmembers 70 and 100 to the open position, seen in FIG. 4 , the jawmembers pivot causing the working surfaces 78 and 108 to move away fromeach other to permit access to the working surfaces of the jaw members.When moving the jaw members 70 and 100 to the closed position, the jawmembers pivot causing the working surfaces 78 and 108 to advance towardseach other and possibly passing one another.

Using the clevis-and-tang or tongue-and-groove configuration allows theworking head assembly 60 to maintain the forces acting on the jawmembers symmetrical, as well as reducing the stress on the jaw members,thereby allowing for a smaller, lighter weight design. Specifically, aswill be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, prior art jawsare designed as hermaphroditic pairs. As such, similar to a pair ofordinary scissors attempting to cut a piece of cardboard, the forces andtolerances lead to binding and bending and other problems from theasymmetric application of forces. With the clevis-and-tang ortongue-and-groove configuration, all of the forces are symmetricallyapplied to the jaws. In addition, this configuration allows for tightertolerances to further enhance performance of the mating jaw members.

A lighter weight design of the jaws is also achieved, at least in part,on some embodiments by the provision of one or more “pockets” or areaswhere the cross section of each jaw member 70 and 100 is thinner in adesired shape. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 ,the first jaw member 70 has pockets 84 on one or both sides of the jawmember, and the second jaw member 100 has pockets 118 on one or bothsides of the jaw member. These pockets 84 and 118 not only serve asweight reduction pockets, but can also absorb stress in a more uniformmanner across the operative portions of the jaw members. One of ordinaryskill in the art armed with the present disclosure can design thepockets of any suitable size and shape depending on the material ofconstruction and overall design of the jaws through routineexperimentation in order to achieve one or more of the advantageousfeatures of the weight reduction pockets.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 10 , a lighter weight design isalso achieved by tapering at least the distal end portion 74 of thefirst jaw member 70 and the distal end portion 104 of the second jawmember 100. In an exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 10 , the distal endportions 74 and 104 are tapered in a generally I-shaped cross sectionwhere the jaw member tapers at a predefined angle, such as for example a6-degree angle. The variable cross-section of the distal end portions 74and 104 of the jaw members 70 and 100, respectively, reduces weight byreducing the material used to form the jaw members. Additionally, aswill be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the castingprocess is not only made easier by the tapered configuration, but alsoresults in a superior product. Specifically, tapering the mold used tocast the jaw members helps the flow of material when casting the jawmembers. The tapering allows the material to cool evenly from the edgesinwardly, as opposed to cooling in patches that can occur without ataper. The present disclosure also contemplates that the tapering allowsthe flow rates and pressure of the fabrication process to be optimizedto a point that the material does not start cooling before it spreadsthroughout the casting mold. This, in turn, facilitates the even coolingfrom the edges inward.

While a generally I-shaped cross section with a predefined taper, e.g.,a 6-degree taper, is shown for portions of the jaw members, one ofordinary skill in the art would appreciated that any suitableconfiguration that lessens the weight and/or improves the fabrication ofthe jaw members while not compromising strength should be understood tobe within the scope of the present application. One of ordinary skill inthe art would readily appreciate that during a working operation of thejaw members 70 and 100 of the working head assembly 60, the proximal endportion 76 or 106 of each jaw member 70 or 100, respectively, typicallyreceives more stress so that the proximal end portions of the jawmembers are preferably fabricated to be thicker. Further, tapering alongthe length or a portion of the length of the jaw members as describedherein facilitates a uniform distribution of the forces on applied tothe jaw members. One of ordinary skill in the art armed with the presentdisclosure can configure jaw members with the tapering and/or pocketsdescribed herein in a manner to achieve one or more of the uniformstress distribution and weight reduction features described based on theultimate design and material of construction of the jaw members.

Referring now to FIGS. 11-21 , the jaw members 70 and 100 are configuredfor easy connection to and removal from the handle assembly 20 of thetool 10. As shown, the proximal end portion 76 of the first jaw member70 includes a raised tab 86 on one or both sides of the jaw member, andthe proximal end portion 106 of the second jaw member 100 includes araised tab 120 on one or both sides of the jaw member. The raised tabs86 and 120 serve as stops. More specifically, the raised tabs 86 and 120are preferably positioned to facilitate connecting the jaw members 70and 100 of the working head assembly 60 to the handle assembly 20 byallowing the jaw members to only open an amount that results in thelocking pin 160 being aligned with the central opening 152 of the sleeve150, thus freeing the hands of a user when connecting the working headassembly 60 to the handle assembly 20 or when removing the working headassembly from the handle assembly. A user can now allow the jaw members70 and 100 to release and fall open as shown in FIGS. 11-20 , leavingthe jaws aligned.

In addition, in the exemplary embodiment shown, each raised tab 86 and120 are sized and configured to mate with a respective tab notch 130provided in an inner surface of a yoke 132 of the neck portion 26 of thehandle assembly 20. When the raised tabs 86 and 120 are positioned intheir respective tab notches 130 the bores 82, 114 and 116 are alignedso that the sleeve 150 and locking pin 160 can connect the jaw members70 and 100 to the yoke 132, and allows a roller 134, seen in FIG. 11 ,positioned within the yoke to reduce friction between the first jawmember and the locking pin 160 by maintaining a distance from the camsurface 88, seen in FIG. 6 , on the first jaw member 70, and allowsanother roller 136, seen in FIG. 11 , positioned within the locking pin160 to reduce friction between the second jaw member and the yoke bymaintaining a distance from cam surface 122 on the second jaw member100. It is noted that the gap between the rollers and the cam surfacecreated by the raised tabs 86 and 120 isolates the spring force from thespring member 180 from the locking pin 160. Isolating the spring forcefrom the spring member 180 from the locking pin 160 helps to limit orprevent the locking pin 160 from binding in the sleeve 150 when removingthe jaw members 70 and 100 from the yoke 132.)

Referring to FIGS. 8, 9, 13 15 and 16, as noted above, the working headassembly 60 is releasably secured to the neck portion 26 of the handleassembly 20 via the locking pin 160. The locking pin 160 can movebetween an extended position, seen in FIG. 13 , and an insertedposition, seen in FIGS. 8 and 9 . As shown in FIGS. 13 and 15 , thelocking pin includes a first detent 162 around the perimeter of the pinand a second detent 164 around the perimeter of the pin. The detents 162and 164 interact with a spring and ball assembly. More specifically, thespring 166 and ball 168, seen in FIG. 16 , are positioned within a bore170 in the yoke 132, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 16 . The spring 166normally biases the ball 168 toward the locking pin 160. When thelocking pin 160 is in the inserted position the ball is biased intodetent 162 to lock the locking pin in the inserted position. When thelocking pin 160 is in the extended position the ball is biased intodetent 164 to lock the locking pin in the extended position.

When the raised tabs 86 and 120 are positioned into their respective tabnotches 130, the jaw members 70 and 10 are prevented from falling out ofthe yoke 132 of the neck portion 26 of the handle assembly 20 when thelocking pin 160 is in the extended position. Additionally, when thelocking pin 160 is in the extended position such that the locking pin isremoved from the bore holes in the jaw members 70 and 100, the jawmembers not only remain connected to the yoke 132, but also springtension from spring member 180, seen in FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 , coupledbetween the distal end portions 76 and 106 of the jaw members 70 and100, respectively, causes the raised tabs 86 and 120 to be held withinthe tab notches 130 in the yoke 132. One end of the spring member 180 isconnected to the distal end portion 76 of the first jaw member 70 andthe opposing end of the spring member 180 is connected to the distal endportion 106 of the second jaw member 100 by a connection accessedthrough spring pin holes 90 and 124, seen in FIG. 17 , in the respectivejaw member. As will be appreciated, the spring member 180 normally biasthe jaw members 70 and 100 toward the open position.

As noted above, as shown in FIGS. 17-21 , if the locking pin 160 ismoved to the extended position, described above, and the jaw members 70and 100 are removed from the yoke 132, the jaw members are still heldtogether by the sleeve 150. The jaw members 70 and 100 may moveslightly, but once the raised tabs 86 and 120 are positioned in theirrespective tab notches 130, the jaw members are held in place.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure lend themselves to theprovision of additional advantageous features. For example, the tool 10may make use of a trigger lock 25 that can slide relative to theswitches 48 and 50 to prevent activation of the switches for addedsafety. The trigger lock can be configured to require release for everyoperation of the working head assembly, such as the working operation ofcutting blades for a cutting tool or the working operation of crimpingdies for a crimping tool. Turning now to FIGS. 22-28 , the handleassembly 20 of the tool 10 may also include an improved interfacebetween a wobble plate 400 and pumps 300 which are part of the hydraulicdrive system within the handle assembly 20. The improved interfaceincludes a ball bearing 200 disposed between the pump 300 and a wobbleplate 400. The operation of the pump 300 and wobble plate 400 are wellunderstood in the art and the details of which will not be discussedherein. As shown in FIGS. 22-28 , two pumps 300 are spaced about 0.800″apart in the hydraulic pump body 310, seen in FIG. 28 , and likewise,spherical pockets 450 in the wobble plate 400 are also machined to about0.800″ apart. However, since the wobble plate 400 is typicallyconstrained at an angle (4 degrees), at certain points in the rotation,the effective distance between the two spherical cutouts is less thanthe 0.800″ pump distance. As will be appreciated by one of ordinaryskill in the art, if the pump was directly contacting the wobble plate400, this would cause a sliding motion in that interface. A moredetailed description of the wobble plate and pumps is described incommonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/584,658, filed on May2, 2017 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art armed withthe present disclosure, by placing a ball bearing 200 between each ofthe pumps 300 and the wobble plate 400, at least one additional degreeof freedom is created and the ball bearings 200 create a rolling contactbetween the pumps and the wobble plate 400, which greatly improves theefficiency of the hydraulic system, especially at the high rotationalspeeds of the motor 30. As shown, each ball bearing has two contactpoints. There is a contact point 650A between the ball bearing 200 andthe pump 300, and a contact point 650B between the ball bearing and thewobble plate 400. As the wobble plate 400 moves through its cycle, aline connecting the contact points on the ball bearing 200 changes in aconical pattern 600 (see FIG. 26 depicting the conical pattern forillustrative purposes). The end result of this configuration is animproved and more efficient operation of the hydraulic system and thusthe tool 10.

The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and arenot to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Thedescription of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention isintended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the presentinvention. Various modification, alternatives and variations will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and are intended to fallwithin the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A jaw assembly for an in-line hydraulic tool, thejaw assembly comprising: a first jaw member having a distal end portionand a proximal end portion, wherein the distal end portion of the firstjaw member defines a first portion of a working area of the in-linehydraulic tool, and wherein the proximal end portion of the first jawmember includes at least one yoke coupling member extending from atleast one side of the first jaw member and configured to mate with afirst yoke coupling member on a yoke of the in-line hydraulic tool; asecond jaw member having a distal end portion and a proximal endportion, wherein the distal end portion of the second jaw member definesa second portion of the working area of the in-line hydraulic tool, andwherein the proximal end portion of the second jaw member includes atleast one yoke coupling member extending from at least one side of thesecond jaw member and configured to mate with a second yoke couplingmember on the yoke of the of the in-line hydraulic tool; an interlockingmechanism associated with the first and second jaw members such that thefirst jaw member and the second jaw member can pivot relative to eachother; and a locking pin that can extend through the interlockingmechanism to facilitate releasably attaching the first jaw member andthe second jaw member to the yoke of the in-line hydraulic cutting toolwhen installed; wherein when the yoke coupling member of the first jawmember is mated with the first yoke coupling member the first jaw memberis coupled to the yoke of the in-line hydraulic tool, and when the yokecoupling member of the second jaw member is mated with the second yokecoupling member the second jaw member is coupled to the yoke of thein-line hydraulic tool such that the first and second jaw members areprevented from falling out of the yoke when the locking pin is removedfrom the interlocking mechanism.
 2. The jaw assembly according to claim1, wherein the yoke coupling member of the first jaw member comprises araised tab and the first yoke coupling member comprises a tab notch. 3.The jaw assembly according to claim 2, wherein the raised tab is matedwith the tab notch by inserting the raised tab into the tab notch. 4.The jaw assembly according to claim 1, wherein the yoke coupling memberof the second jaw member comprises a raised tab and the second yokecoupling member comprises a tab notch.
 5. The jaw assembly according toclaim 4, wherein the raised tab is mated with the tab notch by insertingthe raised tab into the tab notch.
 6. The jaw assembly according toclaim 1, wherein the interlocking mechanism comprises: a tang having abore therethrough positioned between the distal end portion and theproximal end portion of the first jaw member; a clevis having a boretherethrough positioned between the distal end portion and the proximalend portion of the second jaw member; and wherein the clevis is capableof receiving the tang such that the bore through the clevis can alignwith the bore through the tang.
 7. The jaw assembly according to claim6, wherein the interlocking mechanism further comprises a sleeveinserted through the bore in the clevis and the bore in the tang suchthat the first jaw member and second jaw member can pivot relative toeach other.
 8. A jaw assembly for an in-line hydraulic tool, the jawassembly comprising: a first jaw member having a distal end portion, aproximal end portion and a tang positioned between the distal endportion and the proximal end portion, wherein the distal end portion ofthe first jaw member defines a first portion of a working area of thein-line hydraulic tool, wherein the tang includes a bore therethrough,and wherein the proximal end portion of the first jaw member includes atleast one yoke coupling member extending from at least one side of thefirst jaw member and configured to mate with a first yoke couplingmember on a yoke of the in-line hydraulic tool; a second jaw memberhaving a distal end portion, a proximal end portion and a clevispositioned between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion,wherein the distal end portion of the second jaw member defines a secondportion of the working area of the in-line hydraulic tool, wherein theclevis includes a bore therethrough and is capable of receiving the tangof the first jaw member such that the bore through the clevis can alignwith the bore in the tang, and wherein the proximal end portion of thesecond jaw member includes at least one yoke coupling member extendingfrom at least one side of the second jaw member and configured to matewith a second yoke coupling member on the yoke of the of the in-linehydraulic tool; a sleeve inserted through the tang and clevis bores suchthat the first jaw member and second jaw member can pivot relative toeach other; and a locking pin that can extend through the sleeve tofacilitate releasably attaching the first jaw member and the second jawmember to the yoke of the in-line hydraulic tool when installed; whereinwhen the yoke coupling member of the first jaw member is mated with thefirst yoke coupling member the first jaw member is coupled to the yokeof the in-line hydraulic tool, and when the yoke coupling member of thesecond jaw member is mated with the second yoke coupling member thesecond jaw member is coupled to the yoke of the in-line hydraulic toolsuch that the first and second jaw members are prevented from fallingout of the yoke when the locking pin is removed from the sleeve.
 9. Thejaw assembly according to claim 8, wherein the yoke coupling member ofthe first jaw member comprises a raised tab, and the first yoke couplingmember comprises a tab notch.
 10. The jaw assembly according to claim 9,wherein the raised tab is mated with the tab notch by inserting theraised tab into the tab notch.
 11. The jaw assembly according to claim8, wherein the yoke coupling member of the second jaw member comprises araised tab and the second yoke coupling member comprises a tab notch.12. The jaw assembly according to claim 11, wherein the raised tab ismated with the tab notch by inserting the raised tab into the tab notch.13. An in-line battery-powered hydraulic tool comprising: a handleassembly in an in-line type shape having a hand grip portion and a neckportion, the neck portion including a yoke; and a working head assemblyoperatively coupled to the yoke, the working head assembly including: afirst jaw member having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion,wherein the distal end portion of the first jaw member defines a firstportion of a working area of the in-line hydraulic tool, and wherein theproximal end portion of the first jaw member includes at least one yokecoupling member extending from at least one side of the first jaw memberand configured to mate with a first yoke coupling member on the yoke ofthe in-line hydraulic tool; a second jaw member having a distal endportion and a proximal end portion, wherein the distal end portion ofthe second jaw member defines a second portion of the working area ofthe in-line hydraulic tool, and wherein the proximal end portion of thesecond jaw member includes at least one yoke coupling member extendingfrom at least one side of the second jaw member and configured to matewith a second yoke coupling member on the yoke of the in-line hydraulictool; an interlocking mechanism associated with the first and second jawmembers such that the first jaw member and the second jaw member canpivot relative to each other; and a locking pin that can extend throughthe interlocking mechanism to facilitate releasably attaching the firstjaw member and the second jaw member to the yoke of the in-linehydraulic tool when installed; wherein when the yoke coupling member ofthe first jaw member is mated with the first yoke coupling member thefirst jaw member is coupled to the yoke of the in-line hydraulic tool,and when the yoke coupling member of the second jaw member is mated withthe second yoke coupling member the second jaw member is coupled to theyoke of the in-line hydraulic tool, such that the first and second jawmembers are prevented from falling out of the yoke when the locking pinis removed from the interlocking mechanism.
 14. The jaw assemblyaccording to claim 13, wherein the yoke coupling member of the first jawmember comprises a raised tab and the first yoke coupling membercomprises a tab notch.
 15. The jaw assembly according to claim 14,wherein the raised tab is mated with the tab notch by inserting theraised tab into the tab notch.
 16. The jaw assembly according to claim13, wherein the yoke coupling member of the secondt jaw member comprisesa raised tab and the second yoke coupling member comprises a tab notch.17. The jaw assembly according to claim 16, wherein the raised tab ismated with the tab notch by inserting the raised tab into the tab notch.18. The jaw assembly according to claim 13, wherein the interlockingmechanism comprises: a tang having a bore therethrough positionedbetween the distal end portion and the proximal end portion of the firstjaw member; a clevis having a bore therethrough positioned between thedistal end portion and the proximal end portion of the second jawmember; and wherein the clevis is capable of receiving the tang suchthat the bore through the clevis can align with the bore through thetang.
 19. The jaw assembly according to claim 18, wherein theinterlocking mechanism further comprises a sleeve inserted through thebore in the clevis and the bore in the tang such that the first jawmember and second jaw member can pivot relative to each other.